Outrage grew on Friday over a Seattle police officer's remark that the life of a young woman killed by a speeding patrol car had "limited value".

Diplomats from India are asking for an investigation following the death of the Indian graduate student as people in Seattle protested the officer's callous jokes caught on bodycam video.

The footage released this week shows Officer Daniel Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, joking with the rank-and-file police union's president after a different officer's speeding police car on January 23 slammed into Jaahnavi Kandula at a pedestrian crossing.

READ MORE: US cop recorded saying woman killed by police car had 'limited value'

Protesters on Thursday evening gathered at the Seattle intersection where the 23-year-old graduate student was fatally struck by Officer Kevin Dave's SUV. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is conducting a criminal review of the crash.

Auderer responded to the crash to evaluate whether Dave was impaired, The Seattle Times reported. Dave had been driving 119 km/h in a 40 km/h zone on the way to an overdose call.

Later, Auderer left his body-worn camera on as he called Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan to report what happened. In a recording released by the police department on Monday, Auderer laughs and suggests Kandula’s life had "limited value" and the city should just write a cheque for US$11,000.

At the demonstration on Thursday, 5-year-old Layla Allibhai sat atop father Mo Allibhai’s shoulders while holding a sign saying: “I have unlimited value. So did Jaahnavi.”

Protesters also carried signs saying "Jail killer cops" and "Convict Kevin Dave".

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“I think this has galvanised people because it's so blatant and disrespectful to put a value on a human's life at $11,000," Patricia Hunter, co-chair of the Community Police Commission, said in an interview on Friday.

"It galvanises people to see that the culture at Seattle Police Department has some issues that need to be immediately addressed."

The commission was formed to hold police accountable, along with the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of Police Accountability.

Hunter said its next step is to work with those partners to see what charges might be brought in the case, what policies might have been broken and "to amplify the voices of the community which are enraged over this video, so that justice can be done".

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco tweeted that it has taken the "deeply troubling" matter up with authorities in Seattle and in Washington, D.C., and that it wants a thorough investigation and action against those involved. Newspapers in India have been following the case.

In a statement on Friday, the US State Department called the situation disturbing.

“We are aware of, and are disturbed by, what was said about Ms. Kandula’s death in the bodycam footage recently released by the Seattle Police Department,” the State Department said.

“We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere condolence to Ms. Kandula’s family and loved ones.”

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The Seattle Police Officers Guild said in a statement on Friday that it understands the outrage caused by the "highly insensitive comments".

“It sullens the profession of law enforcement, the reputation of all Seattle Police officers and paints Seattle in a terrible light,” the union said.

“We feel deep sorrow and grief for the family of Jaahnavi Kandula as this video has revictimised them in an already tragic situation as they continue to mourn her death. We are truly sorry.”

But the union noted that the bodycam footage captures only Auderer's side of the conversation: “There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet.”

Solan, who had been on the other end of the call with Auderer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Auderer, in an statement provided to the Office of Police Accountability that the union released Friday, said Solan had lamented the death and that his own comments were intended to mimic how the city's attorneys might try to minimise liability for it.

“I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy," Auderer wrote.

"I understand that without context the comment could be interpreted as horrifying and crude."

He denied that his remarks were “made with malice or a hard heart.”

Kandula was from Andhra Pradesh, a state in India’s southern coastal region.

Relatives told The Seattle Times that Kandula came to Seattle so she could one day support her mother back home in India. Kandula was on track to receive a master’s in information systems this December from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University.

Labour says workers’ rights ‘under threat’ if National and Act gain power

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has described American XL bully dogs as a “danger to our communities” and announced plans to ban the breed following a public outcry after a series of recent attacks.

Sunak said he has asked government ministers to bring together police and canine experts to legally define the characteristics of the American XL bully, which is not recognised as a breed by groups such as the Kennel Club in Britain or the American Kennel Club in the United States.

“It is not currently a breed defined in law, so this vital first step must happen fast,’’ Sunak said in a video statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.

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“We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year.’’

The government has been under pressure to take action after an 11-year-old girl was attacked and seriously injured by an American XL bully on Saturday in Birmingham, England. Those concerns deepened on Thursday after a man was killed in an attack that may have involved this type of dog.

“The American XL bully dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children,’’ Sunak said.

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“I share the nation’s horror at the recent videos we’ve all seen.’’

Four breeds of dogs are currently banned in the United Kingdom: the pitbull terrier, the Japanese tosa, the dogo Argentino and the fila Brasileiro.

Some campaigners have called for the American XL bully, which was originally bred from the American pit bull terrier, to be added to the list because they believe dangerous characteristics have been bred into the animals.

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The XL bully is not recognised as a breed by the UK’s Kennel Club, which has argued that no breed of dog is inherently dangerous.

The organisation says breed-specific bans do not address the most important factors contributing to attacks, primarily irresponsible dog owners who train their dogs to be aggressive.

The bully breeds get their name because they were originally used in blood sports, such as bull baiting. The dogs have a muscular build and a heavier bone structure than pit bulls.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was to travel to the far eastern port city of Vladivostok to see Russia's Pacific fleet, while his official media back home has said he was "deeply impressed" by a factory producing the most advanced Russian warplanes.

Kim's trip to Russia, highlighted by a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, has sparked Western concerns about an arms alliance in which North Korean munitions fuel Putin's war in Ukraine and Russian technologies advance the threat posed by Kim's military nuclear program.

After meeting with Putin at Russia's main spaceport, a location that communicated Kim's desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies, North Korea's leader reappeared Friday in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur for a visit to a plant producing Russia's Su-57 fighter jets.

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Experts have said potential military cooperation between the countries could include efforts to modernise North Korea's outdated air force, which relies on warplanes sent from the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Kim's plans to see Russian naval ships in Vladivostok could be another hint at what he wants from Russia, possibly in exchange for supplying munitions to refill Putin's declining reserves as his invasion of Ukraine becomes a drawn-out war of attrition.

Kim in recent months has been emphasising the need to strengthen his navy to counter the advanced naval assets of the US, which has been expanding its combined military exercises with South Korea to counter the North's growing threat.

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Analysts said Kim's focus on naval strength could be driven by ambitions to obtain sophisticated technologies for ballistic missile submarines and nuclear-propelled submarines as well as to initiate joint naval exercises by Russia and North Korea.

Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday local time that during his visit to the aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Kim expressed "sincere regard" for what he described as Russia's rapidly advancing aviation technologies.

North Korean state media have been reporting Kim's activities in Russia a day late while crafting the details to meet government propaganda purposes.

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Russia's Cabinet on Friday released a video showing Kim on an elevated platform looking at the cockpit of an Su-57 while listening to its pilot. Kim also beamed and clapped his hands when an Su-35 fighter jet landed after a demonstration flight.

During a luncheon hosted by Russian officials, Kim's top military officer, army Marshal Ri Pyong Chol, said his leader's visit to the facility "added another glorious page" to the relations between the countries, KCNA said. Kim's delegation also includes the top commanders of North Korea's air force and navy.

Putin on Friday briefed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko about his summit with Kim. During their meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Lukashenko suggested Belarus could join Russia and North Korea in "three-way cooperation."

Kim's trip to Russia, his first since April 2019 when he met Putin in Vladivostok, came days after he attended a ceremony at a North Korean military shipyard where the country unveiled a purported nuclear attack submarine.

State media claimed it is capable of launching tactical nuclear weapons from underwater. But South Korea's military expressed doubt about the operational capabilities of the sub, which was the result of reshaping an existing submarine to install missile launch tubes.

Kim has announced goals to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines, which can quietly travel long distances and approach enemy shores to deliver strikes, a key asset in his efforts to build a viable nuclear arsenal that could threaten the US. Analysts say such capacities would be unfeasible for the North without external assistance.

Putin on Friday reiterated that Russia would abide by UN sanctions, some of which ban North Korea from exporting or importing any weapons. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov separately said that no agreements on bilateral military cooperation were signed after the Putin-Kim meeting Wednesday.

Experts say North Korea and Russia aren't likely to publicise any deals on weapons to avoid stronger international criticism.

Since last year, the US has accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, likely much of them copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine.

Some analysts question how much Russia would be willing to share its sensitive weapons technology in exchange for North Korean conventional arms. But others say that is now a possibility to consider as Russia becomes desperate to refill its drained reserves.

After a meeting in Seoul discussing the allies' nuclear deterrence strategies, US and South Korean officials on Friday stepped up their condemnation of the recent moves by Russia and North Korea.

Sasha Baker, the US acting undersecretary of defense for policy, said Washington will continue to "try to identify and expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment, again, to prosecute their illegal war on Ukraine."

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin said Washington and Seoul, while increasing security cooperation, would ensure that Moscow faces consequences if it helps advance North Korea's weapons program.

A British neonatal nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of six others has launched a bid to appeal her convictions, officials said on Friday.

Lucy Letby, 33, was sentenced last month to life in prison with no chance of release. A jury at Manchester Crown Court had found her guilty of the seven murders between June 2015 and June 2016 at the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwestern England.

She was also found guilty of seven murder attempts involving six other babies there but was cleared of two additional charges of attempted murder. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on several other charges.

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Officials at the Court of Appeal said Friday they had received an application for permission to appeal against the convictions.

Typically, applications for permission to appeal against a crown court decision are considered by a judge without a hearing. If the bid is refused, the guilty parties have the right to renew their bid at a full court hearing before two or three judges.

Letby’s motives remain unclear, but the scale of her crimes pointed to intricate planning.

Letby, who refused to appear in court for her sentencing or to face an outpouring of anger and anguish from grieving parents, was accused of deliberately harming the babies in various ways, including by injecting air into their bloodstreams and administering air or milk into their stomachs via nasogastric tubes.

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She was also accused of poisoning infants by adding insulin to intravenous feeds and interfering with breathing tubes.

Judge James Goss imposed a rare “whole-life order” on Letby, who he said acted with “malevolence bordering on sadism.”

Only three other women have received such a harsh sentence in the United Kingdom.

The British government launched an independent inquiry soon after the verdicts to look into the wider circumstances around what happened at the hospital, including the handling of concerns raised by staff.

Temperatures are set to soar in parts of the country today, with firefighters and surf lifesavers urging people to take care during a burgeoning heatwave.

Sydney is set to reach 32 degrees today, rising even further to 34 degrees in Penrith.

The Rural Fire Service had to halt its hazard reduction burns around Sydney yesterday due to the heat and that is expected to extend through today.

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The fire danger rating has risen to "high", which mean people in the Sydney region need to be ready to watch and act, and have their bushfire action plan ready.

And with a hot weekend building, Surf Life Saving NSW has warned everybody who plans to hit the water to stick to patrolled beaches and swim between the flags.

In Queensland, it's day one of the September school holidays, people are also urged to heed the flags and swim where it's safe.

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Brisbane today is set for a top of 26 degrees, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

The message from lifesavers along the 8000km of patrolled Queensland beaches is a simple one – they want to underline the importance of swimming between the flags.

Last season, 14 people drowned at Queensland beaches, and all of them were swimming outside patrolled areas.

Of the 3200 people who needed rescuing, 85 per cent were also outside the flags.

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Queensland beaches are patrolled between 8am-5pm.

Temperatures will vary around the country's other capitals, with a 25 degree top forecast for Melbourne today.

Inland regions, particularly in the south and south-east, will see temperatures in the low to mid-30s, the BoM has forecast.

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High temperatures will shift eastward on Sunday, with inland NSW likely to see peak temperatures in the high 30s.

The BoM's Miriam Bradbury said on X, formerly Twitter, while these temperatures weren't unusual for September, they were normally seen at the end of the month, and not for such a sustained period.

"It is uncommon to see a very, very warm period happening like this in the middle of September," she said.

This week marked 50 years since Augusto Pinochet seized power in Chile.

A hero Australian bomber pilot who paid the ultimate sacrifice in saving the lives of his crew and unsuspecting Dutch villagers during World War II is being commemorated this weekend.

Pilot Officer Les Knight, of Melbourne, was killed in the early hours of September 16, 1943, while flying his Lancaster bomber over German-occupied Europe.

But his death was not in vain and 80 years on, his bravery is being marked in commemorative events in the Netherlands today and tomorrow.

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Flying at tree height

Knight's fateful final flight was part of an Allied mission to attack and destroy a key canal in Germany.

Forced to fly at just 30 metres above ground during the night to avoid enemy radar and spotters, the bomber arrived over the target to find it blanketed in heavy fog.

Soon after, Knight's plane was critically damaged when it struck treetops.

With little choice but to abort the mission, he jettisoned the plane's 6000kg of bombs and non-essential equipment and headed back to base in England.

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The four-engined Lancaster began to lose power as it flew over the small Dutch village of Den Ham.

Knight gave the order for his seven crew members to bail out but, realising the plane would need to maintain a steady height, insisted on being the last man out.

The 22-year-old managed to buy his seven comrades enough time for them to escape the stricken plane.

While two were captured by German troops, five were hidden by the Dutch resistance and later made it back to Britain.

Knight also was able to steer the aircraft away from Den Ham.

But when Knight attempted a crash landing in a field, the bomber hit a bank and exploded, killing him.

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Who was Les Knight?

Knight was born in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell in 1921.

After World War II broke out, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1941.

He soon became an accomplished bomber pilot and was chosen to be part of the crack Dambuster squadron for Operation Chastise in May 1943, the air attack on vital dams in Germany's Ruhr region.

Following the successful breach of the dams using the famous "bouncing bomb", Knight became a national hero in Australia and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

'He saved our village'

Knight's sacrifice has never been forgotten by the Dutch village he helped save from a likely catastrophe.

Villagers formed the group – Remembering Dambuster Les Knight – which helps maintain the memory of the Australian.

"He saved our village and is our eternal hero," secretary Melvin Chambers said.

Relatives of Knight have travelled from Australia to Den Ham for the weekend's events.

They include the unveiling of a garden walkway in the village called the Leslie Gordon Knight Path.

Australian actor Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness have announced they are separating after 27 years of marriage.

"We have been blessed to share almost three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth," the two announced in a statement first shared with People and confirmed by CNN.

"Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness.

"We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives."

Jackman and Furness met on the set of the 1995 Australian television series Corelli and married the following year. The two actors share kids Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18.

Jackman marked their most recent wedding anniversary with a tribute to Furness in April.

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"I love you so much," Jackman wrote in an Instagram post at the time.

"Together we have created a beautiful family. And life. Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage and loyalty is an incredible gift to me."

Announcing their split, which was signed "Deb and Hugh Jackman”, they confirmed "This is the sole statement either of us will make."

Jackman found international fame portraying the superhero Logan in the X-Men franchise from 2000, a role to which he will return in the upcoming Deadpool 3.

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He is also known for his stage roles, particularly in The Boy From Oz.

Furness, a one-time on-air reporter for Nine, has multiple roles under belt including in award-winning Australian film Jindabyne, but is also renowned for her work with orphans and adoption laws in Australia and around the world.

A co-creator of National Adoption Awareness Week, she is also a patron of the Lighthouse Foundation and a World Vision ambassador.

Last year she received the Medal of the Order of Australia (AO) for her services to the arts and her adoption advocacy. 

With CNN.

An Airbnb superhost who raped a young Japanese woman he had hired to clean his rural property has been jailed for six-and-a-half years.

James Lithgow twice raped and sexually assaulted the 19-year-old, who spoke little English, in a caravan next to his home in Halls Gap in 2018.

County Court Judge Fran Dalziel said the now 46-year-old should have been aware a young woman being agreeable and friendly did not amount to an invitation to sexual activity.

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Lithgow was convicted by a jury of two charges each of rape and sexual assault, but acquitted of other charges including false imprisonment and attempted rape.

He had claimed that he believed the woman was consenting, telling police "I'm not silly, I can tell when there's a good feeling going on".

Lithgow also described his kissing and touching of the young woman as normal drunken behaviour, prompting the judge's disagreement in a pre-sentence hearing.

"Just no. It's not normal behaviour to start kissing and having sex with someone just because you're drunk," she said.

"If it is normal, it shouldn't be."

She noted Lithgow had only stopped his sexual advances on the woman after she told him she had a boyfriend.

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Judge Dalziel questioned why he had only stopped then.

"Does a boyfriend somehow make you less available to have sex?" she asked, adding that a woman is entitled to say no for any reason, including that she just doesn't want to.

Lithgow had met the woman responding to an ad she posted looking for work.

She and her boyfriend arrived in Australia in early September 2018 on a working holiday, and Lithgow offered her $25 an hour plus food and accommodation to clean his 11-person Airbnb property.

She caught a train from Melbourne to Ararat and he picked her up for the 30-40 minute drive to his property, stopping at a supermarket to buy wine and dinner.

At the property they drank the wine and the young woman reported feeling drunk.

Lithgow pushed her into a chair outside the caravan and began groping and kissing her, before taking her into the caravan where he twice raped her.

He then fell asleep.

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After dozing for a few hours the woman text her boyfriend, who made his way to the property to meet her the following morning.

He took her to a neighbouring caravan park and police were called.

In sentencing Lithgow, Judge Dalziel noted his business had suffered as a result of his actions, and the subsequent reporting on his trial.

She said it wasn't suggested he had intentionally set out to assault her, but he had showed a lack of understanding of the stark power differential between them.

"No doubt she was friendly and agreeable, but that is not an indication she was willing to engage in sexual activity with you," she said.

Lithgow must serve at least four years before he is eligible for parole.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).